i.e., [ekho] God will strengthen, or God will prevail, one of the greater prophets, whose writings, both in the Hebrew and Alexandrian canons, are placed next to those of Jeremiah. He was the son of Buzi the priest, and, according to tradition, was a native of Sarera. Of his early history we have no authentic information. We first find him in the country of Mesopotamia, "by the river Chebar," now Khabor, a stream of considerable length flowing into the Euphrates near Circesium, Kirkhesia. On this river Nebuchadnezzar founded a Jewish colony from the captives whom he brought from Jerusalem when he besieged it in the eighth year of king Jehoiachim. This colony (or at least a part of it) was settled at a place called Tel-Abib; and it seems to have been here that the prophet fixed his residence. He received his commission as a prophet in the fifth year of his captivity (n.c. 594). Ezekiel is remarkably silent respecting his personal history; the only event which he records (and that merely in its connection with his prophetic office) is the death of his wife in the ninth year of the captivity. He continued to exercise the prophetic office during a period of at least twenty-two years, that is, to the 27th year of the captivity; and it appears probable that he remained with the captives by the river Chebar during the whole of his life. That he exercised a very commanding influence over the people is manifest from the numerous intimations we have of the elders coming to inquire of him what message God had sent through him (ch. viii.1; xiv.1; xx.1; xxxiii.31, 32, &c.) Carpzov (pp. 203-4) relates several traditions respecting his death and sepulchre, principally from the treatise De Vitis Prophet., falsely attributed to Epiphanus. It is there said that he was killed at Babylon by the chief of the people, on account of his having reproved him for idolatry; that he was buried in the field of Maur in the tomb of Shem and Arphaxad, and that his sepulchre was still in existence. Such traditions are obviously of very little value.

Most critics have remarked the vigour and surpassing energy which are manifest in the character of Ezekiel. The whole of his writings show how admirably he was fitted, as well by natural disposition as by spiritual endowment, to oppose the "rebellious house," the "people of stubborn front and hard heart," to whom he was sent. The figurative representations which abound throughout his writings, whether drawn out into lengthened allegory, or expressing matters of fact by means of symbols, or clothing truth in the garb of enigma, all testify by their definiteness the vigour of his conceptions. Things seen in a vision are described with all the minuteness of detail and sharpness of outline which belong to real existences. But this characteristic is shown most remarkably in the entire subordination of his whole life to the great work to which he was called. We never meet with him as an ordinary man; he always acts and thinks and feels as a prophet.

The genuineness of the writings of Ezekiel has been the subject of very little dispute. According to Jewish tradition, doubts were entertained as to the canonicity of the book on the ground of its containing some apparent contradictions to the law, as well as because of the obscurity of many of its visions. These, however, were removed, it is said, by Rabbi Hananiah, who wrote a commentary on the book, in which all these difficulties were satisfactorily solved.

Eziongeber. See Akabah.